I saw “Wicked” and finally understood all the songs I’ve been singing for over a decade

Kanye West introduced me to “Wicked.” Not in person, after all, but many moons ago a video of Kanye West surfaced in the studio fiddling with the rhythm with a sample of the song “Popular”, sung by Kristin Chenoweth, who played Glinda in the original solid recording of the Broadway musical “Wicked.” As far as I know, nothing ever got here of this rhythm – nor should it have; so far as Kanye’s productions go, it felt more like a throwaway at this point – but the sample was so intoxicating that I had to listen to the source material. I looked it up on (probably) Spotify and the rest is history.

I love a good musical. While this will likely be problematic for many reasons, I still take heed to “Hamilton” in the automobile and on the TV. I know all the Disney musicals and have made my kids love musicals too. We are a dramatic, singing house. “Wicked” was my jam. After finding the Wicked soundtrack, every single day I would hop into my 2008 Dodge Magnum – with the Hemi – plug in the aux cable and let the songs transport me and my daughter to the wonderful world of Oz. There was just one problem: until recently, I literally had no reference points for what was really happening in the show.

While I loved the soundtrack, I never made it to Broadway (or anywhere else for that matter) to see the play. I desired to, but for some reason I didn’t go to see it. So despite knowing the words to all the songs and singing “Defying Gravity” at the top of my lungs at a stoplight, causing confusion amongst various driving demographics in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, with none clues from the lyrics, the plot was a bit lost for me.

So you may imagine my joy when I came upon that the film adaptation of “Wicked” was hitting theaters. I was much more excited because the two foremost characters, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, are powerful singers, which appeared to me to be based on songs I knew. Well, I finally watched the movie – and baby, it’s me.

First of all, Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba? It worked. Phew, Chile. Ariana Grande looked like she had a great time playing the role of Glinda, also generally known as Galinda. Plus, as a kid who grew up watching The Wizard of Oz on VHS, it was pure pleasure to have a story that explained the history of so many things. I love a good narrative reframing and reimagining, so I’ll all the time be impressed by a super creative addition to an already compelling fiction. That’s why I’m so completely happy that Percival Everett won the National Book Award for his bestselling novel “James,” a retelling of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” from Jim’s perspective.

Watching Elphaba’s story was each emotional and insightful. Gaining access to the inner workings of a person’s mind, their journey and discovering how a good person “goes bad” shall be an investment ten times out of ten. Damn, I was rooting for the Wicked Witch throughout the entire movie. By the end of the movie I desired to burn Oz myself. It also made me rethink the opening scenes and the opening song “No One Mourns the Wicked”, you already know, perspective and all that jazz.

In hindsight, this really touched me because (I assume EVERYONE knows that the Wicked Witch of the West is killed in The Wizard of Oz) the movie opens with the entire community – Munchkinland – excitedly celebrating the death of Elphaba, who (spoiler alert ) As we learn, he got here from the same streets and was principally a freedom fighter who opposed the system and then became an enemy of the state. In fact, she would most definitely fight tooth and nail for these people. Seeing her burnt effigy after learning what we learned moved me. I’m not saying I cried, but I’m not saying I didn’t cry either. It’s complicated; leave me alone.

That’s why I cannot wait for Wicked Part II to be released next yr; because I have to see where (perhaps if?) things modified. At the end of the first a part of “Wicked”, Elphaba realizes that she must forge her own path based on her morals and principles, and since she has learned about all the fiction behind the mythology of Oz – a discovery that Dorothy may even later make. How far people will go to keep up a lie and their evil ambitions, Elphaba discovered; her powers and abilities make her a threat, and the power structure in Oz was ready, willing and capable of publicly insist on characterizing Elphaba as just that – a danger. I wonder if I’ll still be rooting for her in the same way at the end of the next movie.

All I know is that I want more repetition, thought, and villain perspectives. For example, Disney did a good job; the entire “Descendants” film series, featuring the fictional children of Disney’s most famous villains, brilliantly pulls back the curtain (pun intended) behind the stories of the misunderstood and unfairly judged.

While I’m waiting, Elphaba is above every thing, darling. Defy gravity, girl! Defy gravity!